"Would you envy someone who has greater achievements than you?"
For me, I admire them sometimes, but most of the time I take it as a form of motivation.

In Singapore, the pace of life is fast. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, even the speed of escalator in MRT station is a lot faster than my home country Malaysia. Therefore, people here tend to be rushing in life, believing that "time is money". Luckily, I have been trained in my high school, so I am still able to adapt to it.

All the hurry have led to the impression that Singaporeans are more "kiasu" (Afraid of losing to opponents or competitors) and want to be the best at everything. Parents always wish their children to be successful and be the focus of public attention. However, to be successful requires effort and luck.

Looking at all the news and posts on social media, you can find 12-years-old who write mobile applications that successfully published on Google Play Store or iOS App Store. Some teenagers even formed their startups and started their career a lot earlier than most. News like these tends to put pressure on people as they aspire to perform. Office workers might feel inadequate as the younger generation seem to outperform them, resulting in a more stressful environment.

Even though the world is so competitive, we should not compare ourselves to others and make ourselves feel desperate. Everyone has their strengths, originality, and thoughts. There is no need to envy or follow the same path as others because it might not be suitable for you. The meaning of life is not about how successful you are, but how you have enjoyed your life. Nevertheless, I do feel guilty at times when I am relaxing or watching movies. I feel like I am wasting my precious time doing nothing productive.

I do agree that competition is the fuel of self-improvement, but it is not an indicator to determine how good or bad you are. That being said, this should not be an excuse for you to laze around. Always try to step out of your comfort zone and try or learn something new. You need not be the best at something, but enjoy the process and do your own best. Be yourself, develop your character and enjoy life.

"You were born an original. Don't die a copy" - John Mason